Gladstone Ace Shaving Seconds, Stacking Wins in Building Memorable Run
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 7, 2021
GLADSTONE — Drew Hughes has been piling up victories throughout this cross country season.
The Gladstone High School junior won for the ninth time in as many races Tuesday, finishing first at the Gladstone Invitational at Richer's farmhouse.
That victory came three days after earning top honors at the Sault Ste. Marie Elks Invitational by covering the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 35 seconds. At Munising on Sept. 28, he ran a personal-best 16:22.4 in the El Harger Memorial Invitational at Pictured Rocks Golf & Country Club, shaving seven seconds off his previous best at the Holly Invitational on Sept. 18 at Davisburg.
What has made him so successful?
“It’s probably the training I did this summer,” said Hughes, who averages 20 miles a week. “I ran with a lot of my friends, and they pushed me a lot. Although, most days I was running by myself. After a meet when I get a good time, I just want to keep getting better.”
Hughes has finished under 17 minutes in his last five races, including the John Prokos Memorial Invitational in Escanaba where he was clocked at 16:47 on Sept. 25. He also ran a 16:47 on Tuesday.
After the Holly Invite, he was selected the Athlete of the Meet for Division 3-4-5 after becoming the first male runner from the Upper Peninsula to take top individual honors in the meet’s 53-year history.
“I thought that was real cool,” said Hughes, who ran a 5:10 split in his first mile. “After the first mile, I wanted to keep that pace. I also wanted to make sure I didn’t burn out. I slowed down slightly in the second mile, but not too much. Coach (Gary Whitmer) told me my two-mile split. At that point, I wanted to go for under 17.”
Gladstone placed third at Sault Ste. Marie with 84 points. South Lyon won at 27, followed by the host Blue Devils with 51.
“My teammates and coaches have been very helpful, and they’ve been helpful and respectful to other teams,” said Hughes. “We’re a real good small team.”
On race day, he enjoys the competition and camaraderie with other runners.
“Marquette is real solid and fun to race against,” he said. “Houghton is doing well, and Sault is fun to race against. They have a nice course up there.
“My girlfriend and whole family come to the meets when they can. They’re also very supportive even when they can’t make it to the meets.”
Hughes started running in third grade under former coach Dan Paul.
“I just loved running,” he said. “My brother Luke was among the best runners in middle school, and that really motivated me. He had a lot of speed and height. In second grade, I started getting interested in running by watching him. They had a lot of people there. That was awesome.
“Our coach would treat us to ice cream after some practices. He and my grandfather came with us and rode their bikes while we were running.”
Hughes hopes to retain his Great Northern Conference title at Menominee on Oct. 14 and Mid-Peninsula Conference crown in Ishpeming on Oct. 18.
The season ends with the Upper Peninsula Finals on Oct. 23 at Gentz Golf Course in Chocolay Township (near Marquette). Hughes finished 12th in the Division 1 race in 2020.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO Gladstone's Drew Hughes leads and wins the Dale Phillips Invitational on Sept. 3 at Presque Isle Park. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)
Marquette Carrying Confidence Into Finals After Downstate, Out-of-State Successes
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
October 20, 2023
MARQUETTE — Marquette’s cross country teams are both seeking to continue championship runs at Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Finals at Farmhouse Cross Country Course in Gladstone – the girls for the second-straight season and the boys attempting a fifth-straight title.
Their travels far and wide this fall have the teams confident that success will continue.
The Marquette girls did something Sept. 15 no other Upper Peninsula team had been able to do, winning the Green division race at the Spartan Invitational at Michigan State University by edging Novi 142-143.
That was the first of multiple successful trips downstate, and Marquette also ran exceptionally closer to home and in Wisconsin against some of that state’s elite.
“I think we’re just really excited,” junior Monet Argeropoulos said. “We’re really looking forward to pushing each other as a team. That’s what keeps us strong. We just need to go down there and take care of business.”
Sophomore Ella Fure was seventh individually at MSU, and senor Abby Harma ran ninth against a field of Lower Peninsula Division 1 schools.
“That’s probably the highlight of the season from a team standpoint,” Fure said during Tuesday’s practice at the Marquette High School track. “We were all crying. At first they announced Novi had won from the unofficial results. We were a little disappointed, although we gave our best effort. Then they found a scoring error and discovered we had won. I think a lot of people were really excited. The car ride home was very good. It kind of flew by.”
After dominating the El Harger Invite at Munising on Sept. 26, Marquette traveled downstate and ran in the Shepherd Bluejay Invitational four days later where the boys placed fifth and the girls were 16th in the Elite division.
“It’s real different running downstate. We needed to get used to that situation and become more comfortable. I think our athletes know what to expect down there now,” Marquette coach Derek Marr said. “(The girls’) confidence really grew after winning at MSU, and a lot of that carried over into Shepherd.
“Many coaches believed the U.P. teams couldn’t compete downstate, and that upset me. I think we can compete with anybody if we believe in ourselves. We’ve trying to break that limitation.”
Marquette opened this season with two victories at home, dominating the Queen City Invitational on Aug. 18 and edging Macomb Dakota for the title in the Wildcat Invite on Aug. 26.
“I think that set the tone,” Harma said. “Downstate runners come up here for camps. They’re very fast. It’s easier to run fast with faster people. Winning the Spartan Invitational was very exciting, and three of us going under 20 minutes at Shepherd was a highlight. It has been a long time since a team from Marquette has done that.”
“I would say we had an exceptional season,” added junior Seppi Camilli, who covered the 3.1-mile course at Shepherd in a personal-best 16 minutes, two seconds. “Derek and Paige (assistant coach DuBois) did a great job preparing us. The girls winning by one point at Spartan was definitely the highlight. Competing downstate allowed us to exemplify our depth and talent. I think it makes us execute to show our skills.”
Senior Cullen Papin had similar thoughts about the early-season meets.
“Everybody showed up and really worked hard in our first meet,” Papin said. “In the Wildcat meet it was good to get pushed by the biggest school in the state, and it came down to a sixth-runner tie-breaker. That’s what it’s all about. It shows every runner is important.”
The Marquette boys were runners-up to nationally-ranked Stevens Point, Wis., at Neenah, and the girls placed fourth.
“That was definitely a confidence builder going down to Neenah,” Papin said. “It was exciting to see all the hard work the girls put in really pay off against some of the D-1 powers in the state at Spartan, and all seven of us going under 16:50 at Shepherd was cool. There’s lots of good teams down there.
“The atmosphere in practice is pretty good.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Ella Fure (526), Monet Argeropoulos (514) and Abby Harma (527) make up part of an early pack during the Wildcat Invitational. (Middle) Marquette's Seppi Camilli (497) runs to first place in the boys Wildcat race held on the campus of Northern Michigan University. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)